USS Forrestal One hundred and thirty- four dead, one hundred sixty one injured, twenty-one aircraft destroyed. It is important senior enlisted leaders utilize the lessons of the past in order to enlighten their leadership abilities, and employ lessons on heritage to junior personnel. This paper will discuss the history, evolution, and its important role in carrier aviation heritage.
History
USS Forrestal (CVA-59), built at Newport News, Virginia. She commissioned in October 1955 as the U.S. Navy's first “supercarrier”. The first US aircraft carrier specifically designed to operate jet aircraft, and was the first carrier the United States built following World War II. Her namesake was James V. Forrestal, a former naval aviator, and our nation’s first Secretary of Defense (Henry P. Stewart, 2014). Forrestal began the first of many Mediterranean cruises in January 1957. She operated in the North Atlantic in September and October of that year, and again cruised to the eastern Atlantic during the 1958 Lebanon crisis (Naval History and Heritage Command, 2015). USS Forrestal …show more content…
A 5-inch Zuni rocket loaded on a pod under the wing of an F-4 Phantom inadvertently fired. The rocket crossed the flight deck and struck another aircraft igniting a fuel-enriched fire. Several fully loaded combat aircraft also caught fire. Fire spread to other aircraft and lives were lost. This voyage would prove deadly for many members working on the flight deck and the aircraft, and would change daily operations for carrier aviation forever. After understanding the history of the USS Forrestal, it is critical to comprehend changes involving flight deck operations, shipboard firefighting, and personal protective equipment (PPE), also why it serves an important role to the history and heritage of the United States
History
USS Forrestal (CVA-59), built at Newport News, Virginia. She commissioned in October 1955 as the U.S. Navy's first “supercarrier”. The first US aircraft carrier specifically designed to operate jet aircraft, and was the first carrier the United States built following World War II. Her namesake was James V. Forrestal, a former naval aviator, and our nation’s first Secretary of Defense (Henry P. Stewart, 2014). Forrestal began the first of many Mediterranean cruises in January 1957. She operated in the North Atlantic in September and October of that year, and again cruised to the eastern Atlantic during the 1958 Lebanon crisis (Naval History and Heritage Command, 2015). USS Forrestal …show more content…
A 5-inch Zuni rocket loaded on a pod under the wing of an F-4 Phantom inadvertently fired. The rocket crossed the flight deck and struck another aircraft igniting a fuel-enriched fire. Several fully loaded combat aircraft also caught fire. Fire spread to other aircraft and lives were lost. This voyage would prove deadly for many members working on the flight deck and the aircraft, and would change daily operations for carrier aviation forever. After understanding the history of the USS Forrestal, it is critical to comprehend changes involving flight deck operations, shipboard firefighting, and personal protective equipment (PPE), also why it serves an important role to the history and heritage of the United States